P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris is adamant that he had the pace to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and finish
Norris capitalized on Leclerc abandoning his final run in qualifying, starting ahead of him and retaining third position in the opening laps of the race. He moved up to second after Max Verstappen retired but McLaren pitted Piastri ahead of Norris, causing Leclerc and Piastri to emerge ahead of him. McLaren then ordered a swap of the cars during the second stint. Despite his efforts, Norris couldn’t catch Leclerc, settling for McLaren’s first podium at Albert Park since 2014. Norris acknowledged McLaren’s good pace in Australia but admitted they missed an opportunity to be P2. McLaren had planned an undercut on Leclerc but missed the chance due to Ferrari’s pit stop strategy. Ultimately, Norris recognized the gap in performance between McLaren and Ferrari, highlighting the need for McLaren to work harder to match their competitors.
